Baby May is the Size of a Peach!

This is going to be a brief update (I promise!)

Yesterday I got to meet my NEW doctor for the first time, and she was fabulous! She took plenty of time to talk to me about my medical history, pregnancy symptoms, and get to know me in general.

I got to hear the heartbeat again (and she let me listen for a good long time). The heartbeat is about 160 beats per minute, which is (apparently) a little on the higher side of the normal range. We also did a sonogram and got to see the baby in profile. The baby measured in at 51.9mm (2 inches for those of us who can't convert that in our heads). And we know that there are at least 5 fingers because it has its little hand up waving to us.

Now, some pictures!

This is a picture of me at 11 weeks - no baby bump just yet... (Also notice that I'm wearing a summer dress because it was 70+ degrees that day!)

And I'm going to end this post with Baby May's first official picture:

Baby May is the Size of a Plum

Time for an update!

Weeks: 12

Size: 2.1 inches (unless he/she's short like his/her Mama!), .49 ounces

Baby News: We went to an appointment on March 12, and we got to see the heartbeat pumping away! Unfortunately, we were incredibly disappointed with the doctor and clinic, so we have since found a new one. The doctor I saw for this appointment spent more time showing me my kidney and bladder than the baby (Um, who cares about seeing their bladder - you know it's there every time you go to the bathroom!) We also felt rushed and a little bullied into making choices and appointments without receiving a lot of information, so we knew it was time to find a new one. I found a new OB in Decatur who was recommended by a coworker. We don't have much time before we have to do the first trimester screen (done between 11 and 13 weeks), so I'm jumping in head-first with this new doctor. Hopefully, it's the right choice.

Symptoms: Exhaustion is still hanging around, but it's getting better. A bit of Barq's root beer is a nice pick-me-up if I want to do something besides go to bed as soon as I get home. Morning sickness is pretty much gone, as long as I eat breakfast and lunch with my students (as opposed to skipping breakfast and eating a late lunch).

Aversions: I've found that Italian food and pasta have become generally unappealing. Whatever I think sounds good for dinner at 3:30 on my way home sounds terrible by the time Davis gets home at 6. I've also had problems with actually taking time to cook food and then deciding when it's finished that, no, I really wanted cinnamon rolls instead. I don't eat desserts much any more, because I find they are just too rich for me.

Cravings: Okay, no real cravings yet, unless you count wanting a Smoothie King raspberry collider and Little Caesar's but not being able to find either. I do eat a lot of cinnamon/sugary things, like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cinnamon-sugar bagels, cinnamon rolls. It seems that lightly flavored, sweet foods are always an okay choice. Three boxes of cereal has been consumed over the last couple weeks as well. Also, most forms of chicken are acceptable.

Comments from Others: I've gotten a kick out of hearing baby-related comments from others! In the past week I've heard "Oh, you've got a little pooch showing.", "Looks like you're losing weight. That's good because it means you'll be all baby!", "I think you've got a butt now. (To which I responded "I think I've always had one...")". I'm also getting a lot of "Don't carry this...don't lift that." "Stop reaching above your head, it'll make your boobs get bigger."

Stay tuned for more updates as Baby May goes from Plum to Peach to Lemon!

Scared

It would seem like "scared" would be an appropriate emotion right now, but I'm guessing most of you would pair that word with "having a baby". And you would be wrong, at least at the moment. Yes, I'm occasionally unsure and sometimes worried about the whole being a mom part, but in general I feel pretty okay about it.

Rather, what I am scared about is my search (once again) for a certified teaching position. It's the time of year when resumes are updated, jobs are posted, and applications are completed. It's the time of year when I must make a decision that will impact my future. Do I stay with City Schools of Decatur, or do I try other, much larger districts? Do I stay at College Heights where I know and love the staff, or do I strike out for another school? Do I stay with Pre-K where I'm comfortable, or do I venture into Elementary, my first love?

This year, the first question is easy - I will certainly be staying with CSD. This is a district that inspires me and makes me want to be the best teacher I can be. I've only been here two years, but I can honestly say that I feel right at home here.

As for the questions about whether to stay at College Heights and hopefully move into a certified Pre-K position, I can't answer yet. Yes, I would like to stay at College Heights; I know the staff, the routines, the expectations. But I also have to try for the other Elementary positions that have been posted in the district. (Because, let's face it, I can't keep making what I'm making! To put it in perspective, I could work 22 years as a preschool teacher and my salary still would not be as much as a first year pre-k - 12 teacher. On the bright side, I'll never complain about how much I make as a certified teacher!)

Although only time will tell, I am nervous about the next several weeks. I pray that I will be invited to interviews - Elementary and Pre-K! I pray that God will show me where I'm supposed to be. I pray that after this year, I can stop searching and finally find my classroom home.

Baby May is the Size of an Olive!

So, I'm taking a page out of my friend, Katie's, previous blog posts. She recently had an adorable little girl, and I enjoyed the way she kept everyone updated about what was going on.

Katie, if you're reading this, thanks for the ideas!

Weeks: 9.5

Morning Sickness: I think I've finally got a handle on handling the morning sickness - at least most of the time! I usually get it right when I wake up, especially if my stomach is empty. This hunger-induced nausea is most easily solved by eating something light like a cereal bar. Other nausea that occurs can last either all day, or it pops up around dinner and lasts until bedtime. Ginger ale and peppermints usually help alleviate some of the symptoms.

Fatigue: I have been SOOO tired this past week. There have been several days when I use my 30 minute "break" to nap. Of course, right after my break is nap time for the kids, so I have to be careful NOT to sit down in the dark, quiet, lullaby-filled room; that leads to me napping along with the kids. I've needed to go to bed early pretty much every night, but that's impossible on Monday and Tuesday when I have grad school. On those days I usually nap in my car before I go into class.

Happy Foods: I've found that there are some foods that tend to agree with my stomach, especially when it comes to combatting nausea. Grilled chicken, goldfish, raspberry cereal bars, ginger ale, fruit-flavored popsicles, and deli sandwiches (the kind from Arby's or Lenny's). I've also been eating a lot of Crispy Rice cereal and rice-based dishes (like gumbo and stir fry).

Smells: On days when I've felt particularly sick, certain smells have nearly knocked me over. The smell of the grocery store when you first walk in, spaghetti being served in the cafeteria, and spending time in certain restaurants are some particular times when I've had to leave rather quickly.

Baby Bump: Not really at this point - just bit of a pudge that I'm pretty sure was forming before I got pregnant. However, my checklist on "Thebump.com" keeps telling me to take a belly picture. I have yet to take their advice.

Clothing: My pants are definitely getting tighter, as are certain shirts. The pants problem I've been able to solve by pushing them a little lower below my stomach, right on my hips. I'm having to wear slightly looser shirts, which are more comfortable anyway. I'm hoping that I'll be able to save some money on maternity clothes by wearing sundresses and loose summer clothing. It just needs to warm up first! Also, I just found a cute dress shop here in Norcross that has incredibly reasonably priced clothes that are nice and flowy (and you get 20% off on your birthday!)

Thankful: I am so thankful for everyone who has made this process as easy as possible (so far). In particular, my husband, who has done everything from massage my back to clean the house to stand in the freezing cold to get the cookie dough ice cream I wanted.
My graduate professor understood when I was too sick for class last Monday, and has already worked out me missing some classes in the fall when I have the Little One.
Also, my principal is working with me on making my doctor's appointments since I have to leave work around 2 to make it on time.
And I can't forget my Mama! She makes a great sounding board when I need to ask someone whether I can still eat deli meat without fearing contracting listeria or how to "fix" morning sickness!

We haven't had our first OB appointment yet, but that's set for March 12. I'll be at the end of 11 weeks, and we're hoping we can hear the heartbeat! I'm ready for a sonogram, because right now, all I can envision is a raspberry or olive or whatever food the baby is currently the size of - and what an image that is!

Baby May: 8 Weeks

Over the past week, as I’ve battled fatigue and morning sickness, I’ve tried to spend a few minutes here and there thinking about the first official blog entry about Baby May. I think the best way is to begin at the beginning with how we found out…

A few weeks ago I started to feel like my stomach muscles were tight, especially when I stretched; I mostly noticed it when I was putting away mats after nap time since I stretch to put them on top of the cabinets in our classroom. I knew it wasn't because I was exercising - hah! - so I decided to take a pregnancy test. Exactly 1 year and 8 months from the time we got married, I tested positive on a home pregnancy test. (I then woke Davis up at 8:00 on a Sunday morning to show it to him - he thought it was a Hot Pocket at first!)

Of course, the rest of the week was chaotic as College Heights prepped for the President’s visit. I managed to get an appointment with a nurse just to confirm the pregnancy for Thursday afternoon (Valentine’s Day)! So, needless to say, I was ready for the President’s visit to be over so I could get to that appointment. However, we weren’t allowed to park at the school that day, so I’m pacing around frantically as we wait for the shuttle bus to the high school that was 30 minutes late. When I do make it to my car, I called the doctor’s office to let them know I’d be late; they told me if I arrived after 4:30 I would have to reschedule. I was NOT about to let that happen.

I picked up Davis at a gas station, and we hustled to the doctor’s office, arriving at 4:35. I was almost in tears because I thought for sure they were going to make me reschedule. (I was ready to give them the whole story about how it was the President's fault we were late- not mine!) Fortunately, the nurse was still able to take me, even though she had to switch out with another nurse halfway through the appointment. We found out rather quickly that I was pregnant at 7 weeks and 1 day!

Not much has changed since we found out. I stopped drinking alcohol (of course). Davis started reading a book – The Caveman’s Pregnancy Companion: A Survival Guide for Expectant Fathers. And I realized that crackers and cheese make a decent meal when you really don’t want to eat anything at all. Also, now people ask me how I “feel” instead of how I “am”; it’s kinda funny, actually.

Well, it's nearly 8:30 on a Friday night, so that means it's bedtime! 

"No."

So, I think I finally came up with a decent life resolution (not the same as a New Year's Resolution in case you were wondering). My new life goal is to NOT be taken advantage of, and so far it's going okay. Here's why I've decided this is my new resolution:

The building that Davis and I are currently living in is for sale. We live in one of the four units, and the selling agent, Jamie, has contacted us several times about showing our apartment. The first time, he just took some pictures. About 2 weeks ago, we got another request for a different agent to bring by a buyer, which went really well. I figured any other showings would go that well. I was wrong. A fiasco has ensued.

• Last Saturday we set 1:00 as a time for a different agent to show it to a potential buyer; at 1:30 we found out they were going to be at least another hour, so we told them to reschedule. 
• They tried to reschedule for Wednesday by tell us at 2:00 they wanted to see it at 5:30. I told them NO and that our lease allows us a 24 hour advance notice (my first step towards not being taken advantage of!). They set it for Thursday at 5:30. After cleaning our house from top to bottom, we found out at 4:30 on Thursday they couldn't make it. Immense irritation has set in. 
• Yesterday morning, Jamie told us the same buying agent wanted to bring by another potential buyer at 3:00 today. And at 2:30 that agent calls me to tell me she has to reschedule.

At this point, I'm just about ready to tell Jamie that this other agent may no longer come. We've been burned by her 3 times now, and I am fed up, especially since we've put our lives on hold for her.

The other area where I have decided I'm not going to be taken advantage of is at work with a certain co-worker, but I won't discuss the details here. It's about time I stand up for myself and start telling people, "NO."

Quick Update

Does anyone else have those moments when you think you have something great to say (or blog about), but no time to blog. Then, when I do have time to write a new post, I can't think of anything to say. Well, today's one of those times. So, here's just a few words to let the world know that I'm still kicking here in Georgia.

1. I started my second semester of grad school this week, and I attend class on Monday and Tuesday nights. This makes for a very tough beginning of the week. I'm hoping that I'll get adjusted to the new schedule - soon!

2. Davis is getting a new project car - a 300zx turbo... I think. Which means that my warm, cozy garage parking spot is being relegated to the new project.

3. I didn't make a New Year's Resolution. I haven't for ... well, I can't even remember the last time I made a Resolution. I figured I probably wouldn't keep it any way, so why make one? What I am attempting is to cook more meals at home and be better about cleaning. This seems to be a goal every semester since it's easier to start fresh when everything is clean and organized.

That's all I've got for now. I'm going to take a nap until it's time to cook dinner.

Oh, and Roll Tide and Go SEC!